My birthday is January 27th and although Babycakes is so close to me, I do not want myself or my bf to pay $60 for a mini cake especially when we're geared up for the challenge of making one. Does anyone have a gluten-free, sugar-free cake and frosting combination that they trust?

An anecdote: My first year as a vegan was an interesting one, and although my mom was hesitant, she agreed to top off the two months of being vegan with a homemade birthday cake for me. I reassured her it was easy to bake vegan cakes and that it was sure to be delicious ( and hell, I'd have eaten it even if it wasn't... ) no matter what. She purchased a gluten-free cake mix from the organic section of the supermarket, came home, made the cake in a bundt pan, and what resulted wasn't what she wanted. I seriously gobbled down the whole thing, loving every dry crumbly bit, while everyone left theirs on the plate mostly untouched. I felt so bad. I wanted my mom to be proud of her work! Regardless, I came back home the next day and the cake was gone! She threw it away to destroy the evidence. Pfft. It was like a giant sugar cookie in cake form.

Do you know if I would just sub some agave for the sugar, and then decrease the liquid content by a bit? I will be making the agave Babycakes frosting for the frosting... SO EXCITED! Now just need to fix the cake up proper.

For cupcakes, I made the recipe verbatim, but I also made a cake using this recipe with an addition of lemon zest which made the smell even more amazing. The texture is light and fluffy, the taste slightly nutty and pleasantly sweet. The frosting recipe included was a bit too bitter so next time I will add more vanilla or almond extract and make it slightly more sweet. My mom and sister LOVED them, my best friend LOVED them, I LOVED them. These are amazing.

I also made the BabyCakes Hostess cupcake recipe but didn't have money or time to get the marshmallow fluff so I just frosted them using the aforementioned frosting. The coconut oil in the Babycakes cupcakes was overbearing to me, but I dislike coconut to begin with. All in all, these were amazing as well.

Okay Friends,I have to make an xgfx bday cake tomorrow for my aunt's bday, and I'm going to try that recipe that fauxfrancais used... but I don't really love quinoa flour. What would be a good substitute for quinoa flour?

ps. I looked on xgfx and you don't even mention quinoa flour! get on it, slackers! <--- that is a joke.

Gives structure to a baked good that helps hold it up. It is naturally slightly sweet, and high in protein. Almond flour has some natural binding tendencies. You can make your own from grinding blanched almonds in a spice mill or coffee grinder. Buy: JKgourmet.ca (Available also at Rainbow Foods)

Coconut Flour: Weight per 1 cup:

Absorbs liquid quickly in a recipe, gives structure to baked goods. It bakes to a very slightly grainy consistency, but in combination with other flours works very well. It’s lighter than almond flour, so it is good for lighter baked goods like muffins or cakes. Has a fragrant sweet scent. Buy: TropicalTraditionsCanada.com (Available also at Rainbow Foods, Natural Food Pantry, Pantry Plus, and Bulk Barn)

Chickpea Flour (Gram/ Garbanzo Flour): Weight per 1 cup:

Absorbs liquid quickly, and is also high in protein. Has natural binding properties and gives structure to baked goods. In small amounts it can be subbed for almond or coconut flour, but you may need more sweetener to mask the slightly bean-like taste. Good for thickening gravy. Buy: contact PurestNaturalProducts.com (Available also at Rainbow Foods, Natural Food Pantry, Pantry Plus, Bulk Barn and cheapest at your local indian grocer)

Quinoa Flour: Weight per 1 cup:

Another high protein flour, Quinoa can also be partially subbed for coconut or almond. It has a fairly strong flavour, and may be best combined with other heavy flours to even it out. I personally don’t use it too often but its good if you have a nut intolerance. Buy: Bobsredmill.com (Available also at Rainbow Foods, Natural Food Pantry, Pantry Plus)

Teff Flour: Weight per 1 cup:

A lighter textured flour, Teff is darker in colour and has a pronounced flavour. It has natural binding tendencies, and can be used in small amounts to replace one of the heavier flours. Buy: PurestNaturalProducts.com or Bobsredmill.com (Available also at Rainbow Foods, Natural Food Pantry)

Buckwheat Flour Weight per 1 cup:

Results in a denser product, has natural binding tendencies. Has a lighter more neutral flavour than Teff or Quinoa. Great in cookies, pancakes, crepes and crackers. Buy: contact PurestNaturalProducts.com or Bobsredmill.com (Available also at Natural Food Pantry)

Okay Friends,I have to make an xgfx bday cake tomorrow for my aunt's bday, and I'm going to try that recipe that fauxfrancais used... but I don't really love quinoa flour. What would be a good substitute for quinoa flour?

ps. I looked on xgfx and you don't even mention quinoa flour! get on it, slackers! <--- that is a joke.

xo

Is it the nutty flavor? I think I used sorghum and I'm not quite sure I like the taste so stay clear of that. Otherwise, the cupcakes have a really pleasant nutty flavor that I like lots, and gives these alot of flavor. Please post pics!